Doors of opportunity

Anita Kudasik spent her childhood immersed in the hospitality industry. Her parents, Polish immigrants who came to Colorado in 1991, are longtime hoteliers in Salida.

Kudasik followed in their footsteps in 2018 when she opened her own Salida spot while she was still completing her Hotel Management degree in Metropolitan State University of Denver’s School of Hospitality.

With graduation still a year off, she was presented with a unique opportunity: The retiring owner of Salida’s American Classic Inn asked her family if they wanted to purchase the property.

With her parents’ support, Kudasik bought the motel that May, and she and her boyfriend, Ralph Fish, moved back to Salida to operate it. Over the next year, Kudasik made the six-hour round-trip drive to and from Denver each week to finish college while she and Fish reimagined the motel.

“(It) was in disarray — probably about six months away from being deemed uninhabitable,” she said. “It had great bones but needed a lot of love.”

Replacing the roof, windows, doors and insulation in all 20 rooms during that first season — late spring through late fall — left nothing extra for cosmetic renovations and forced Kudasik to keep room rates low. But following her second season, the hotel brought in enough revenue to begin renovations.

Then, the pandemic struck.

In March 2020, Chaffee County Public Health closed all lodging for leisure purposes in Salida, which crushed the economy of the tourism-dependent town.

Hotels that remained open for essential workers created a tight-knit community that navigated the pandemic restrictions. They also helped the health department develop a plan for welcoming back tourists.

Now deep into the current summer season, Kudasik is optimistic. Renovations are complete, and she continues to improve the guest experience.

Kudasik said her time at MSU Denver prepared her well.

“I’d been in one of the culinary classes thinking, ‘I don’t need this,’” she said. “Now, when I’m taking care of guests during breakfast service, I’m glad I have that knowledge.”

ANITA KUDASIK TRANSFORMED HER TOWN’S WORN-OUT MOTOR LODGE INTO A STYLISH MOUNTAIN STAY.

PORTRAIT